Slack-adjuster.



W. Y. MUFFAT.

a sLAUK ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 19114 Patented Apr. 29, 1913.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1.

II y W. Y, MOPFAT.

SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1911.

Patented Apr. 29, 1918' 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 a' wmdoz X W127 Ill') UNITED $TATES PATENT UFFTQE.

WILLIAM Y. MOFFAT, OF DUNMOBE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T ALEXANDEBF. TRIM BLE, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLACK-ADJUSTER.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 3m 3.

Application tiled May 25,1911. Serial No. 628,341.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Y. Morm'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunmore, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Slack-Adjust.- ers. of which the following is a s )ecificatiou.

This invention is a simple mec ianical appliance readily adapted to the different systems of brake equipment in use and provides a convenient method of adjusting the slack in the brake rods whenever necessary on account of wear and the consequent a Mention of new brake shoes and this a plstment can bemade by hand without the inconvenience and danger of the 0 eratorgoing underneath the cars, the a usting rod extendin for convenience of operation to the side 0 the car.

The method of application and description of the invention will be readily understood by referrin to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a pan view of a brake system equipped with t e improved slack adpuster as the same would be applied to an or inary brake rod after the same has been cut and threaded parts being broken away and seen in horizontal section. Fig.2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section of the adjustin cylinder and cooperating arts. the parts emg seen on enlarged see c. Fig. 8 is a transverse, vertical section taken approximately on the planes indicated by line 8-43 of Fig. 2. Fifg. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a slight y modified embodiment. F1 s. 5 and are respective side and end e evations of the parts seen in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 1 the usual arrangement is shown of reservoir connected by piping to triple valve and brake cylinder 11 in which piston 12 moves a redetermined distance in a plying the bra (es when port 13 in the side of the cylinder is uncovered thereby allowing pressure of air behind iston to pass into i e 14 and thence to s ack adjusting cylm er 16. This air pressure being admitted to cylinder 15 moves iston 16 forward compressing the spring 1 the construction and operation 'thus far being ty ical of slack a justers now in use. At this point a new construction is introduced to 0 rate in combination with the foregoing. ack rod 18 is attached to piston 16 to move in connection therewith through the head oi cylinder 10 and in its movement the teeth of rack rod 18 engages the teeth of rack wheel for rotution to the right or left respectively as piston 16 moves forward by air pressure introduced into cylinder 19 or is returned to its normal position by expansion of spring 17 upon the release of the air ressure. liack rod 18 is held in ahorizonta position to enga 0 its teeth with those of inion 20 by suitable guides 18, 18' extending from the interior of the wall of casing 24 as may be necessary. Pinion 20 is rovided with :1 rim or an ed portion to tie rear of which flange 20' is attached pawl 22 for engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 23 keyed to shaft 21.

n the forward movement of piston 10 rack wheel 20, which runs loose on shaft 21, is turned to the left by rack rod 18 and pawl 22 moves over the teeth of ratchet wheel 28 without. rotation of the latter but on the return of (piston 16 to normal position and rack re 18 connected therewith, pawl 22 engages the teeth of and rotates to the right ratchet wheel 23 and shaft 21 to which it is keyed.

Shaft 21 is journaled in the casing 24 attached to slack adjuming cylinder 15 which is suspended by movable hanger rods from the bottom of the car floor and at a convenient location near its side and also passes through and is supported by frame 25, the construction of which frame is shown more clearly in Fig. 2, and keyed to shaft 21 inside of frame 25 is a bevel or miter gear 26 which engages gear 27 which latter gear is a part of or is keyed to turnbuckle 28 the ends of which are journaled in the frame 25 and also have threaded enga rement with the disconnected ends of brake lever rod 29.

The rotation of the shaft 21 to the right as heretofore explained causes movement of gear 28 and consequent movement of gear 27 and turnbuckle 28 working on brake lever rod 29 by means of right and left hand threads thereby shortening this rod, the otfect of which is to draw levers 30 and 31 closer together thereby automatically taking up slack caused by wear of connections and brake shoes.

It will be seen that whenpiston 16 and rack rod 18 connected therewith have reached their normal position, awl 22 comes in contact with sin 86 attaciied to casing 24 and is thereby tisengagcd from lllirhrt wheel 23 leaving rod 21 free to bcturned by handby means of a suitable crank 36 adapted to be used when necessary-toreleaseslack upon application of newbrake shoes.

By referring to Figs. 5 and 6 it nvill be. noted there are hangers 32 attached to the. bottom of the cartioor from which depend; rods 33 at the bottom of which are pins -or bolts 34 passin v t-hrou h lugs :35 on casing 24 and cylinder has r0 riding for any swinging "motion w ich might be necessary on accountof lon'gitudinaf movement of frame Qa'rand consequent; movement of shaft "21 Which would be en-' countered inthe application and release-of brakes.

'The 0 rationof taking "a "slack at one side of't to brake riggin n'i 1 be fully understoodby'reference to i i 4'which shows air bra-ke cylinder 11, slact adjusting cylinder 15, casing 24and shaft 21 as described in the preceding figures. Shaft 21is journaled in casing'25 which-is attac'hed'to the head of brakeey'linder 1101' may be attached to the -end -'of -the reservoir laced in conjunction with the brake-0y intier 'orsaid easing or frame *25 may besuspen'defl from themar *tioor as maybe convenient. 'When shaft 21 is turned to the right gear 26 is; also turned rcausing movement. of ;-gear 27 attached to "or a, part of a sleeve 28 which isjjournaletl in casing :25 andhasthreaded, engagement with :rod 29". The sleeve 28" when' turned as *above explained draws rod '29anl the end o'f lever""nearer tothe-ziir brake cylinder or frame -25 by means of: said 'threatied engagem'ent of shaft 29%? thereby shortening-'up't'he'slack. It is'thus apparent that slack will be taken up automatically-in the combination setforth, and at isalso-obvious-that by simply eliminating the-rack 18 and cooperating parts, a con- --venient and practical method of manual slack ad ustment is provided.

Having described the working of my in- Yention, what is claimed to be new and desired to be covered by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. In combination, a brake cylinder and mike connections therefor, all associated with the-cylindenand slackndj usting means comprising un adjusting member cooperat' ing with said bra-ke 'levers, a slack adjusting-cylinder andpiston'therein, an operative connection between the last mentioned piston and the adjusting member, means for contluct-ing'the pressure medium from the brake cylinder-t0 the slack adjusting cylintler tom'ctonthe piston of'the latter, and means su porting the slack adjusting cylinder an permittingbodily movement of the latter.

Qfl'fn a slack adjuster, the combination with brake rigging and slack adjusting means therefor, of "a piston connected to actuate said slack adjusting means, a cylinder for said piston, pressure supply 'means for'tlle cylinderyantl ii-movable support. for

{team 'therein, imike levers, and operative the cylinder atlapted to permitthe cylinder K tomove relative to adjustments of slack.

WILLIAM 'Y. storms;

Witnesses:

FRANK-J. JORDAN, JOHN RQWanr.

Copies ot'this-Qalten't miyi'ee obtained-'80! flvcoents each, by M'dres'singfihe Commissioner o't'ratente,

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